The Psychiatric Neuromodulation Unit: Implementation and Management

Transcranial direct current stimulation for bipolar depression: systematic reviews of clinical evidence and biological underpinnings

Despite multiple available treatments for bipolar depression (BD), many patients face sub-optimal responses. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) has been advocated in the management of different conditions, including BD, especially in treatment-resistant cases. The optimal dose and timing of tDCS, the mutual influence with other concurrently administered interventions, long-term efficacy, overall safety, and biological underpinnings nonetheless deserve additional assessment. The present study appraised the existing clinical evidence about tDCS for bipolar depression, delving into the putative biological underpinnings with a special emphasis on cellular and molecular levels, with the ultimate goal of providing a translational perspective on the matter. Two separate systematic reviews across the PubMed database since inception up to August 8^th 2022 were performed, with fourteen clinical and nineteen neurobiological eligible studies. The included clinical studies encompass 207 bipolar depression patients overall and consistently document the efficacy of tDCS, with a reduction in depression scores after treatment ranging from 18% to 92%. The RCT with the largest sample clearly showed a significant superiority of active stimulation over sham. Mild-to-moderate and transient adverse effects are attributed to tDCS across these studies. The review of neurobiological literature indicates that several molecular mechanisms may account for the antidepressant effect of tDCS in BD patients, including the action on calcium homeostasis in glial cells, the enhancement of LTP, the regulation of neurotrophic factors and inflammatory mediators, and the modulation of the expression of plasticity-related genes. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study on the matter to concurrently provide a synthesis of the clinical evidence and an in-depth appraisal of the putative biological underpinnings, providing consistent support for the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of tDCS.

ECT: An essential therapy in psychiatry

At a time when innovations in psychiatry are booming, particularly in the field of medical devices, we thought it necessary, as members of French Society for Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology (AFPBN), to reconsider one of the oldest medical devices in psychiatry: the ECT apparatus. First, we recall the regulatory aspects of ECT. National guidelines define means of implementation and conditions of administration of ECT. Second, we remind of the indications and levels of evidence of ECT in the main psychiatric disorders, including catatonia. Then, we synthetize the place of ECT alongside other brain stimulation therapies, especially repetitive Trancranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS). Furthermore, we explain the general effects of ECT: increased neuronal plasticity and neurogenesis, enhancement of the stress axis, resistance to oxidative stress, improved vascular endothelial function, activation of microglia and astrocytes, decrease in inflammatory events by upregulation of neuroinflammatory cytokines, and production of mitochondrial ATP. These effects appear from the first sessions and continue during the course of ECT treatment, suggesting activation of endogenous neuroprotection. Finally, we remember that most patients perform as well or better on neuropsychological assessments after ECT, relative to pre-ECT results, and this improvement continues over the following months. Memory disorders reported post-ECT are not all attributable to ECT. They may be subjective in nature or linked to residual depressive (and possibly comorbid neurogenerative) symptoms later attributed to ECT, on the basis of preexisting negative representations. We urgently need to reemphasize the crucial role of ECT in psychiatric treatment strategies as well as the need to update ECT recommendations.

Esketamine nasal spray in patients with treatment-resistant depression: the real-world experience in the French cohort early-access programme

OBJECTIVE

To present the first real-world data of patients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) treated with esketamine through a French cohort Temporary Authorisation for Use (ATUc) programme.

METHODS

In 2019, the French Health Authorities exceptionally granted the first ATUc in psychiatry for TRD patients. Clinical characteristics, safety and efficacy data were reported by physicians. The ATUc ended ∼6 months after initiation.

RESULTS

The cohort (n = 66; median age 53.0 years; 62.1% female; 78.8% with severe major depressive episodes; resistance to a mean of 4.2 previous antidepressants) received esketamine treatment for a median of 30 days. Among 46 analysed patients, 22 (47.8%) achieved response (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale [MADRS] total score reduction ≥50.0%) and 17 (37.0%) achieved remission (MADRS total score of ≤12) at least once at a median of 18.5 (2.0-77.0) and 21.0 (2.0-46.0) days after initiation, respectively. By Week 4, patients had a 31.6% probability of achieving remission (Kaplan-Meier method). Sedation, somnolence, dizziness, hypertension, anxiety and dissociation were the most frequently reported (>10.0%) adverse events. No new safety signals were identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Patient characteristics of this cohort demonstrate high-level treatment resistance. The safety and efficacy of esketamine in patients with TRD in real-world clinical practice were consistent with Phase 3 trials.Key pointsPatients with treatment-resistant depression (TRD) exceptionally received esketamine nasal spray ahead of its launch through a French cohort Temporary Authorisation for Use (ATUc) programme.The clinical characteristics of 66 adult patients with TRD included in this cohort demonstrated a high-level of resistance to conventional treatments at the time of treatment request prior to esketamine initiation.No new safety signals were observed with esketamine initiation during the ATUc period compared with the Phase 3 clinical trials.The safety and efficacy of esketamine in the real world remain consistent with that established in Phase 3 clinical trials.The data collected during this ATUc also provide the first real-world data on the management and practical use of esketamine in a hospital setting in France.

Using Remotely Supervised At-Home TES for Enhancing Mental Resilience

We are in the midst of a mental health crisis with major depressive disorder being the most prevalent among mental health disorders and up to 30% of patients not responding to first-line treatments. Noninvasive Brain Stimulation (NIBS) techniques have proven to be effective in treating depression. However, there is a fundamental problem of scale. Currently, any type of NIBS treatment requires patients to repeatedly visit a clinic to receive brain stimulation by trained personnel. This is an often-insurmountable barrier to both patients and healthcare providers in terms of time and cost. In this perspective, we assess to what extent Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) might be administered with remote supervision in order to address this scaling problem and enable neuroenhancement of mental resilience at home. Social, ethical, and technical challenges relating to hardware- and software-based solutions are discussed alongside the risks of stimulation under- or over-use. Solutions to provide users with a safe and transparent ongoing assessment of aptitude, tolerability, compliance, and/or misuse are proposed, including standardized training, eligibility screening, as well as compliance and side effects monitoring. Looking into the future, such neuroenhancement could be linked to prevention systems which combine home-use TES with digital sensor and mental monitoring technology to index decline in mental wellbeing and avoid relapse. Despite the described social, ethical legal, and technical challenges, the combination of remotely supervised, at-home TES setups with dedicated artificial intelligence systems could be a powerful weapon to combat the mental health crisis by bringing personalized medicine into people’s homes.

Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Pilot Study on Efficacy, Feasibility, Safety, and Unexpected Outcomes in Tic Disorder and Epilepsy

Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display distinctive neurophysiological characteristics associated with significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the frontal or temporoparietal lobes has demonstrated potential to reduce the severity of ASD-related symptoms. Recently, the cerebellum has been identified as a brain area involved in ASD pathophysiology. In this open-label pilot study, seven ASD patients aged between 9 and 13 years underwent 20 daily sessions of 20 min cathodal stimulation of the right cerebellar lobe. At the end of the treatment, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) scores showed a 25% mean reduction in global severity of symptoms, with a more pronounced reduction in the “social withdrawal and lethargy” (−35%), “hyperactivity and noncompliance” (−26%), and “irritability, agitation, and crying” (−25%) subscales. Minor and no improvement were observed in the “stereotypic behavior” (−18%) and “inappropriate speech” (−0%) subscales, respectively. Improvements were not detected in the two patients who were taking psychotropic drugs during the study. Clinical response showed a symptom-specific time course. Quality of sleep and mood improved earlier than hyperactivity and social withdrawal. The treatment was generally accepted by patients and well tolerated. No serious adverse events were reported. Stimulation also appeared to markedly reduce the severity of tics in a patient with comorbid tic disorder and led to the disappearance of a frontal epileptogenic focus in another patient with a history of seizures. In conclusion, cerebellar tDCS is safe, feasible, and potentially effective in the treatment of ASD symptoms among children. Strategies to improve recruitment and retention are discussed.

Magnetic Resonance-Guided Focused Ultrasound Capsulotomy for Treatment-Resistant Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND

Psychiatric surgery is an important domain of functional neurosurgery and involves deep brain stimulation (DBS) or lesional procedures performed for treatment-resistant psychiatric illness. It has recently become possible to use magnetic-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) to perform bilateral capsulotomy, a lesional technique commonly carried out with surgical radiofrequency ablation or stereotactic radiosurgery. MRgFUS offers several advantages, including improved safety and real-time imaging of the lesions.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the clinical and technical aspects of performing bilateral MRgFUS capsulotomy in patients with severe refractory depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

METHODS

We describe the clinical and technical considerations of performing MRgFUS capsulotomy. Topics discussed include patient selection, headframe application, targeting, sonication strategies, and follow-up procedures.

RESULTS

MRgFUS capsulotomy was performed in 16 patients without serious clinical or radiographic adverse events.

CONCLUSION

MRgFUS allows for a safe, less invasive technique for performing a well-studied psychiatric surgery procedure-the anterior capsulotomy.

From vision to action: Canadian leadership in ethics and neurotechnology

This chapter explores the complex neuroethical aspects of neurosurgery and neuromodulation in the context of Canadian healthcare and innovation, as seen through the lens of the Pan Canadian Neurotechnology Ethics Consortium (PCNEC). Highlighted are key areas of ethical focus, each with its own unique challenges: technical advances, readiness and risk, vulnerable populations, medico-legal issues, training, and research. Through an exploration of Canadian neurotechnological practice from these various clusters, we provide a critical review of progress, describe opportunities to address areas of debate, and seek to foster ethical innovation. Underpinning this comprehensive review are the fundamental principles of solution-oriented, practical neuroethics, with beneficence and justice at the core. In our view, it is a moral imperative that neurotechnological advancements include a delineation of ethical priorities for future guidelines, oversight, and interactions.

Functional connectivity changes and symptoms improvement after personalized, double-daily dosing, repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study

BACKGROUND

intrusive thoughts and compulsive behaviors that characterize obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are associated to aberrant resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) patterns within the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical (CSTC) circuits. A high percentage of OCD patients do not respond to conventional pharmacological treatments or psychotherapy. In these patients, inhibitory repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) of the Supplementary Motor Area (SMA) resulted in a significant clinical benefit.

METHODS

In the current study, we applied a novel protocol of 1-week MRI-guided individualized double-daily sessions of rTMS treatment (1-Hz; 110% of resting Motor Threshold/7200 pulses/day), to bilateral SMA in 9 OCD patients. We tested its (i) feasibility-safety, (ii) clinical efficacy and (iii) rsFC related changes.

RESULTS

Patients reported no side effects during and after rTMS. Personalized rTMS treatment led to a significant improvement of OCD symptoms (average 25%; p = .005) and persistence of benefit up to 3-month follow-up. rsFC analysis revealed a significant reduction of connectivity patterns between bilateral SMA and subcortical regions, specifically in the basal ganglia and thalamus. Additional analysis showed that OCD symptoms severity correlates with a higher connectivity pattern between bilateral SMA and subcortical regions.

CONCLUSIONS

rTMS double-daily sessions are safe, feasible and effective in OCD. The clinical outcomes, that are consistent with those found in our previous RCT, are linked to a decreased connectivity between SMA and subcortical brain areas implicated in control over obsessions and maladaptive compulsive behavior.

[Recommendations for a gradual and controlled resumption of electroconvulsive therapy in France during the period of lifting of the containment and of the COVID-19 pandemic linked to SARS-CoV-2]

La pandémie du COVID-19 a des conséquences majeures sur l’organisation des soins. En France et dans le monde, les centres pratiquant l’électroconvulsivothérapie (ECT) ont vu leur activité diminuer, voire s’arrêter, pour de diverses raisons. Dans ce contexte, le maintien ou la reprise de cette activité thérapeutique essentielle pour de nombreux patients souffrant de troubles psychiatriques nécessite des adaptations matérielles, humaines et logistiques qu’il convient d’encadrer. L’objectif de ce travail collectif et national est de proposer des recommandations simples et applicables immédiatement par tout établissement de santé, public ou privé, pratiquant les ECT. Elles sont issues d’un retour d’expériences pluriprofessionnelles et interétablissements. Déclinées en trois étapes, ces recommandations sont accompagnées d’une fiche pratique qui décrit, de façon précise, les conditions nécessaires et préalables à toute reprise d’activité ECT.

Adherence to treatment guidelines in clinical practice for using electroconvulsive therapy in major depressive episode

BACKGROUND

ECT is the most effective treatment of major depressive episode (MDE) but remains a neglected treatment. The French Society for Biological Psychiatry and Neuropsychopharmacology aimed to determine whether prescribing practice of ECT followed guidelines recommendations.

METHODS

This multicenter, retrospective study included adult patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) or bipolar disorder (BD), who have been treated with ECT for MDE. Duration of MDE and number of lines of treatment received before ECT were collected. The reasons for using ECT, specifically first-line indications (suicidality, urgency, presence of catatonic and psychotic features, previous ECT response, patient preference) were recorded. Statistical comparisons between groups used standard statistical tests.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and forty-five individuals were included. The mean duration of MDE before ECT was 10.1 months and the mean number of lines of treatment before ECT was 3.4. It was significantly longer for MDD single episode than recurrent MDD and BD. The presence of first-line indications for using ECT was significantly associated to shorter duration of MDE (9.1 vs 13.1 months, p<0.001) and lower number of lines of treatment before ECT (3.3 vs 4.1, p<0.001).

LIMITATIONS

This is a retrospective study and not all facilities practicing ECT participated that could limit the extrapolation of the results.

CONCLUSION

Compared to guidelines, ECT was not used as first-line strategy in clinical practice. The presence of first-line indications seemed to reduce the delay before ECT initiation. The improvements of knowledge and access of ECT are needed to decrease the gap between guidelines and clinical practice.

Cost-utility analysis of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in non-treatment-resistant depression: the DISCO randomised controlled study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Depression is among the most widespread psychiatric disorders in France. Psychiatric disorders are associated with considerable social costs, amounting to €22.6 billion for treatment and psychotropic medication in 2011. Treatment as usual (TAU), mainly consisting of pharmacotherapy and psychotherapy, is effective for only a third of patients and in most cases fails to prevent treatment resistance and chronicity. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) consists in a non-invasive and painless application of low-intensity electric current to the cerebral cortex through the scalp. Having proved effective in depressed patients, it could be used in combination with TAU to great advantage. The objective is to compare, for the first time ever, the cost-utility of tDCS-TAU and of TAU alone for the treatment of a depressive episode that has been refractory to one or two drug treatments.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

This paper, based on the DISCO study protocol, focuses on the design of a prospective, randomised, controlled, open-label multicentre economic study to be conducted in France. It will include 214 patients with unipolar or bipolar depression, assigning them to two parallel arms: group A (tDCS-TAU) and group B (TAU alone). The primary outcome is the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, that is, the ratio of the difference in cost between each strategy to the difference in their effects. Their effects will be expressed as numbers of quality-adjusted life-years, determined through administration of the EuroQol Five-Dimension questionnaire over a 12-month period to patients (EQ-5D-5L). Expected benefits are the reduction of treatment resistance and suicidal ideation as well as social and professional costs of depression. Should depression-related costs fall significantly, tDCS might be considered an efficient treatment for depression.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This protocol has been approved by a French ethics committee, the CPP--Est IV (Comité de Protection des Personnes-Strasbourg). Data are to be published in peer-reviewed medical journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

RCB 2018-A00474-51; NCT03758105.

Transcranial direct current stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: an update in electric field modeling and investigations for optimal electrode montage

Introduction: Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive brain stimulation intervention that has been investigated for several psychiatric disorders, including Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). As there are several candidate brain regions for targeting OCD relevant networks, clinical studies using tDCS have considerably varied in terms of the electrode montages used. Computer modeling of electric field currents induced by tDCS can help guiding the research of relevant targets for OCD. In this review, the authors used this tool to investigate targeted brain areas from previous studies of tDCS in OCD. Areas covered: A literature search for articles with the keywords 'tDCS', 'Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation' and 'Obsessive Compulsive Disorder' was conducted to identify relevant publications. For comparing different electrode montages, electric field (EF) models were performed using high-resolution brain scan templates. Authors found 13 studies mostly showing an improvement in OCD symptoms. The electrode montages varied considerably between studies. Nonetheless, two main patterns of EFs could be identified: 'focal montages', with EFs concentrated in the prefrontal cortex, and 'diffuse montages', with widespread EFs over cortical areas. Expert opinion: Electric field simulation can guide future clinical trials in psychiatry, using personalized tDCS montages with distinct electrode positioning according to clusters of symptoms.

Hospital production cost of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of depression

OBJECTIVES

Due to its ease of use, tolerance, and cost of acquisition, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could constitute a credible therapeutic option for non-resistant depression in primary care, when combined with drug management. This indication has yet to receive official recognition in France. The objective of this study is to evaluate the production cost of tDCS for the treatment of depression in hospitals, under realistic conditions.

METHODS

The methodology adopted is based on cost accounting and was validated by a multidisciplinary working group. It includes equipment, staff, and structural costs to obtain the most realistic estimate possible. We first estimated the cost of producing a tDCS session, based on our annual activity objective, and then estimated the cost of a 15-session treatment program. This was followed up with a sensitivity analysis applying appropriate parameters.

RESULTS

The hospital production cost of a tDCS depression treatment program for a single patient was estimated at €1555.60 euros: €99 in equipment costs, €1076.95 in staff costs, and €379.65 in structural costs.

CONCLUSION

This cost analysis should make it possible to draw up pricing proposals in compliance with regulations and health policy choices and to develop health-economic studies. This would ultimately lead to official recognition of tDCS treatment for depression in France and pave the way for studying various scenarios of coverage by the French national health insurance system.